The show is set to start shooting in July and show creator Jennifer Graziano tells Hollywood Life that she knew from the start Big Ang was too big of a personality to contain. “When I first brought Big Ang in, I wanted her for season one, but I felt like she was a little bit older than the other women. She’s a friend of my older sister and my aunt. … We’ve known her since we were kids. We had that one major connection, and I thought, ‘Let me build my brand first, then save her as my secret weapon for season two,’ which I think worked out great.”

Fans are responding well to her, as Jennifer predicted, so she thinks the show will do fine with resting on Big Ang’s shoulders. “Everybody loves Big Ang. She’s just so hysterically funny, so genuine, so real — it’s almost like you can’t believe what you’re seeing! This woman is so special and so crazy, and I knew that when I brought her on for season two.”

And thankfully her current co-stars aren’t bitter over the news. Renee Graziano says she’s happy for her. “God bless Big Ang! I’m not a jealous person. She deserves it; let her do her!”

Speaking of Renee, she shared recently that she’s GLAD that her father and her husband were both arrested and that the whole thing played out the way it did. Her reasoning? So we all know this show is the real deal (nail polish change mid-meltdown aside).

“Actually this might sound a little cocky but I’m glad it’s playing out in national headlines. Because people know this is real. You get a lot of remarks that this is staged. Listen, if I could get the government or anybody behind the scenes to get them to pinch 127 people and get my ex husband into a snitch we would be gazillionaires and everyone would want us!”

Renee also wants to let fans know that just because her ex-husband, Junior Pagan, and dad, Anthony Graziano, will be behind bars, her story line won’t become stale and pointless.

“If everyone thinks this is all I have they are sadly mistaken. That came, that blindsided all of us, no one was expecting that …this will not affect my story line and I have a lot more than Junior in my life.”

TELL US – ARE YOU WATCHING BIG ANG’S NEW SHOW? DID YOU EVER DOUBT THE VALIDITY OF THEIR MOB LIFE PORTRAYED ON THE SHOW?